Radial-draft gear.



Patented 0011.4,1910

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B. H. SCHMIDT. RADIAL DRAFT (ASAE.

' APPLICATION FILED 11120.13, 1909.

E. H. SCHMIDT. RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLIOATION mman lama, 1909; Y 971,930 l Patsnteoi V0st. 4', 1910.

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ENVENTOR v Awww @WN NN .E W wam uw @NWN WN ,NN .MQ NGN @QN .mv v N FN.. 1 l A f J u E w DMW UNITED STATES PiTENT OFFICE.

ERNEST H. SCHMIDT, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 TI-IE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,V OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RADIAL-DRAIETl GEAR.

specification of Letters' raient.

Application filed December 3, 1909. Serial No. 531,124.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST H. SCHMIDT,

4 of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have ear structure. having a draft gear applied thereto embodying my invention; Fig. 2- is a view of the same partlyIin vertical section and partly in side elevation; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View -showing one form of connection with the car truck; Fig. 4 is a section oii the line IV-lV'of Fig. 3; Fig, 5 is a perspective view of one of the plungers; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View showing a modified forni of connection with the ca'r truck; and'Fig. 7 is a view on the line VII-VII of Fig. G.

My invention has relation to radial draftI gears, and. is designed to provide means of simple and eiiicieiit character whereby ears which are already equipped with radially swinging couplers may be provided with means for guiding the couplers to substantially the center of the track.

The precise nature 'of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which will now be described, it being premised, however, that. various changes may be made i-ii thc detailsl of construction and arrangement of the' several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

In these drawings, the numeral 2 designates a radially swinging Iarin, which is pivotall)r connected to the under frame 'of the car structure by the pin 3. i 4 4 is a tie rod, which connects the pin 3 to the king bolt or center pin 5, for the. purpose of giving additional strength in pulling. As the points 3 and 5 are fixed points on the car body, the tie rod 4 has no radial movement. y

Rigidly secured to the under side of the radially swinging arm 2, near its forward end. is a barrelshaped casting or stop inein- 10 surroundtlic coupler shank pvtenemi ai;

opposite sides of the member 6, the draft spring 9 seating at its forward end against a follower 11, and at its rear end against the member 6. The spring 10 seats at its forward end against the'rear "side of the member 6 andat its rear end' against a follower 12, which is secured against rearward moi/'ement by a nut 13, orother suitable means. The sprin'g 9 acts as a buffer and the spring 10 as the draft spring.

The coupler 8 may be of any suitable type, preferably of the M. C. B.`type and having suitable operating mechanism 14, which forms no part of the present, invention. In fact, all the parts,l thus far described are known in the art, and are herein shown and described only in order that the operation and purpose of my invention may -be more clearly understood.

This invention consists in providing means adapted to engage the member 6 for the purpose of guiding the coupler substantially to the center of the track in passing around curves.

15 designates a. bracket. which is rigidly secured to the channel bar member 16 of the tiuek'fi'ame. and has an upwardly extending arm provided with strengthening ribs 15a and 15". The upper end of the bracket arm furnis a semi-cylindrical socket 15. The ribs` 15a are provided with rectangular openings 15d for engagement. with spring plungers 17 in the manner' best shown in Fig. 4. )iie of these p liingers is shown iii detail in Fig. 5, and consists of a rectangular portion adapted for insertion in one of tli'e apertures 15d. Its opposite 'end portion may be made circular and provided with a iange 18 to forni a nearing for a centering spring, 19. This spring seats between the two' plungers iii the manner clearly shoyvn .in Fig. 4 and partially within the 'socket 15 of the bracket, the latter acting to hold the spring' centrally iii position.

20 designates a spring compressor having Patenten oet. 4, 1am

a semi-cylindrical upper portion 20 adapted to fit the lower portion of the barrel-,shaped member-6 and to be rigidly secured thereto. 'lhe lower portion of the compressorl 20 is foi-ined witlrtbe two jaws 20b,fwhich em- -braee the ends of the plungers 17. These plungers are inserted iii position in the rectaiigulai"apertures 15", and the centering spring i9 is then compressed and placed between the nluiigers where it acts to press walimex 2l i -av thin' outwardly against the inner faces of the jaws As the truck frames pivot in following trackcurves, the'brjacket 15 causes the plungers to bear against'one jaw or the otherof the spring compressor 20.. The latter through its connection with the member 6, iiorces the radius arm .2 to rotate about the center 3, and thereby'carry the coupler to substantially the center ofthe track. The' centering spring 19 affords an elastic contactfor the plungers against the .jaws 20b so that if the coupler is forced to either the right or left of the position to which it fis normally guided by the connections, th'ej .spring 'will yield "either to the -right or -lefifj and when the force has ceased, will returnfthecoupler to its normal position again'. I 1

The form of the invention above described '.is particularly vapplicable to motor truck ears. For trailer cars having higher truck rames'l may employ a form of bracket such as .illustrated :it-21' in'Figs. 6 and 7.f in which the extending arm instead of being'upwardly directed is 'substantially horizontal. The construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is otheri y invention provides means 'of Asimple and ell'ective character whereby c'arswhicn swinging are equipped with radially couplers may .be provided with means for guiding the couplers to substantially the center of the track. A i

It will be obvious Athat various changes mx' be made inthe details ofe'onstruction a arrangement of the parts. Thus, Amy inventionA is net limited to the particular- -form of swingmgarm, coupler, and draft rigging illustrated,but may be'used in connection 'with other forms of radially swing-' -ing couplers; and theform and arrangement of the pai'fts constituting my invention may obviously "be changed in various details.

1. Thecombination with a radially A swinging'arm, a coupler, and a draft rigging ca rried by said arm, of a guiding connection forl "the coupler consisting of a member secured to the truck frame2 'a jaw member carried by the radiallyswinging arm, and a Spring device carried by the first named member and adapted to engage the jaw member upon pivotal movement of the truck frame in either direction; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a radially swinging arm having a 'depending portion, -a coupler shank and draft rigging supported by said depending portion, a bracket secured l to .the truck frame, apair of 'oppositely acting spring plungers carried by said bracket, and another member secured to the said depending ,portion and engaging said plungers; substantially as described. 3. In a draft-gear, a radially swinging arm having a' depending portion near its vforward end, a coupler having a shankextension passing through said portion, a member secured-.t0 said portion and having opposite'jaws, a bracket. secured to the truck plungers; substantially as described.

'4. In a draft gear, the combination with a radially Swingin arm and a couplercarried by saidarm, o `means for guiding said coupler \radially, comprising a. jaw member carried' by said arm, a 'member secured to VVi-tnesses: i

` CHESTER K. BROOKS, HARRY ORR.

frame, a pair 'of oppositely acting plungers' seated in said bracket, and engaging the said jaws,'and av centering spring between said the truckframe and having a-socket portion, 

